Sabrina Ionescu changed the game of basketball long before she turned pro. As a point guard for the Oregon Ducks, Sabu was so good and so entertaining that sports analysts credited her with increasing attendance at women's college basketball games across the country. All signs point to what will be an epic sendoff to adulthood as the Ducks prepare for the 2020 March Madness Tournament. But that was March 2020—you know the rest.
“It’s always hard to watch March Madness and realize I never ended my college career the way I wanted to,” said Ionescu, who graduated and became the 2020 WNBA No. 1 overall pick. "Being able to play the game you love brings a different level of appreciation."
Four years later, in an environment where women's sports are exploding, women's basketball is riding high, dominating TV ratings and timelines with a major, culture-shifting moment that makes sports happen outside of the game. resonance. The WNBA is gearing up for its biggest season ever; tickets for the April draft were sold out in just 15 minutes, and the Las Vegas Aces just sold out their season tickets for the first time in league history. This is the first time. Ionescu, now a guard with the New York Liberty, made headlines earlier this month when she faced off against Stephen Curry in a three-point shooting contest. (Ionescu lost to Curry by one shot, but beat or tied every other NBA player in the All-Star Game.)
As we prepare this week for March Madness, the biggest tournament in college sports, it's clear this is a game for the girls.
“People are talking about the women’s championship a lot more now than they are about the men’s championship,” Ionescu said. She appears in an AT&T commercial that will air during a New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson game. "The numbers don't lie."
This year, women's college basketball officially surpassed men's in viewership, and that historic jump is largely due to another talent on the court: Iowa State Hawkeyes Caitlin Clark. Breaking the NCAA scoring record for all genders earlier this month. Almost overnight, Clark's name became a household name, and analysts have begun calling her names, predicting that women's sports will be valued at $1 billion by 2024.
"People are talking about the women's championship a lot more now than they are about the men's championship."
For Ionescu, it's "pretty crazy" to see this surge in enthusiasm. When March Madness resumed in 2021, the NCAA was ridiculed for the glaring gender inequality between the men's and women's tournaments. (Remember those viral photos and videos of the lone dumbbell racks and sad yoga mats that made up the women’s “weight room”?) An independent investigation after the championship found that the NCAA prioritized men’s basketball “above all else” " status, and undermines the interests of women's basketball, perpetuating the "erroneous statement that women's basketball is doomed to 'lose money' year after year."
In 2022, the NCAA will allow both events to use the lucrative March Madness brand for the first time. Just two years later, these girls seem to be all anyone is talking about.
“Being able to see the growth in every aspect of March Madness in such a short period of time — awareness, game broadcasts, jersey sales, fans in attendance — is something I look forward to every year,” Ionescu said.
"Jalen's Jacket" ad for AT&T's March Madness "Connect to the Madness" campaign.This year, Ionescu has his sights on South Carolina (“It’s cool to see them perform so well for such a long period of time and not drop off.”), USC’s JuJu Watkins (“Look What she's accomplished was "a tough transition from high school to college and it's amazing.") and UConn's Paige Bueckers ("She plays at such a high level offensively.").
Most of all, she's happy to see these athletes finally getting the respect they deserve. “Everyone is fighting for equality and not taking no for an answer, which has gotten us to where we are now — with more eyes on the sport because they actually respect it,” she said. "This isn't about checking off a list of things to support women in sport. There are real fans who love coming to games and want to be a part of the players' journey."
